Syllabus
EC005 · Data Analysis · Fall 2026
| Instructor | Colleen O’Briant |
| colleen.obriant at ucr.edu | |
| Office | 4106 Sproul Hall (the building closest to the parking lot, fourth floor) |
| Office hours | Mondays and Wednesdays, 3 to 4pm, or by appointment |
| Class meetings | Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:30pm to 1:50pm, Bourns A125 |
| Course website | https://econ-005-data-analysis.netlify.app |
About the Course
This course is for students who perhaps have never written a line of code or taken a formal statistics course, but who are curious about how economists use data to answer “real-life” questions. No prior programming or statistics is assumed.
The course has three parts. The first builds the vocabulary of data: summary statistics, group means, visualization, and randomness (random variables, expected value, variance, covariance, and correlation). The second is linear regression: we derive the OLS formulas rather than taking them on faith, prove the estimator is unbiased under exogeneity, and develop standard errors, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests. The third asks what data can tell us about cause and effect: multiple regression, omitted variable bias, confounders, randomized experiments, and instrumental variables.
Alongside all of this, you learn to program in R, starting from zero.
Course Goals
The course works toward five goals, each with a basic, intermediate, and advanced level:
- Describe data. Reduce a dataset to honest numbers and pictures, and know when either one misleads.
- Reason about randomness. Treat data as one draw from a random process and quantify what that implies.
- Estimate a regression. Fit a line to data, understand where the formula comes from, and read the output.
- Reason about causality. Say when a regression coefficient is a causal effect, and what to do when it is not.
- Program in R. Write reproducible R code that turns raw data into results.
The Introduction has a map showing which level of which goal each class and homework targets.
How the Course Works
In class, we work problems. Each class has three Problems of the Day. I introduce a problem, you work on it with the people around you, and then we discuss it together. The problems are new to everyone, so the expectation is honest effort, not a finished solution.
Class is laptop, tablet, and phone free. You will not need a laptop in class, and your notes must be on paper, since I collect them at the end of each class for attendance. The only materials you will need is paper (sometimes graphing paper) and a calculator (basic is fine).
Outside class, you learn R through koans. Koans are short guided R scripts with blanks to fill in and automated tests that tell you when you have it right. Each homework is a set of koans that you complete on your own computer and upload to Canvas.
Class notes are published after each class. Each classwork page on the course website includes the key ideas of the day and a set of “check your understanding” questions, which are the best way to study for the quizzes.
Materials
There is no required textbook; the course website is the text. You will need:
- A computer on which you can install R and RStudio (both free). HW0 walks you through the installation.
- Paper and a calculator, every class.
- Access to Canvas, for quizzes and homework submission.
Optional references for going further are listed under Extra Resources in the Introduction.
Grading
| Percent of Total | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 70 | 10 Quizzes |
| 10 | 10 Homeworks |
| 10 | Rotating Front Row |
| 10 | Attendance |
In brief:
- Quizzes are 25 multiple choice questions each, taken on Canvas during a one week window (Monday morning through Sunday night). You may take each quiz up to 3 times, with 24 hours between attempts, and only your highest score counts.
- Homework is due before Monday’s class. Late homework does not receive credit, so submit what you have before the deadline.
- Rotating front row: on two assigned days, you sit in the front row and work the problem with a partner at a desk whiteboard. Your days are determined by your last name.
- Attendance is taken by collecting your paper notes at the end of each class.
The full policies, the front row schedule, and the letter grade scale are on the Grading page. Please read it carefully during the first week.
Schedule
There is no final exam: you’ll take the final quiz online using browser lockdown during the final exam week. The schedule may shift if we need more time on a topic; any changes will be announced in class and on Canvas.
Getting Help
Come to office hours. They are for questions about the material, about the course, or just to say hi. If the scheduled times do not work for you, email me to make an appointment. You are also encouraged to work through homework difficulties with one another.
If you miss your front row day because of an emergency, email me with documentation and we will reschedule you. If you know about a conflict ahead of time, front row days are tradeable: find a classmate willing to trade and email me, copying them.
Academic integrity
All work you submit must be your own. On quizzes this means: no notes, books, websites, AI tools, or other people; keep your eyes on the screen; and do not photograph, copy, share, or discuss test questions during the testing window. Attempts flagged by Canvas for suspicious behavior receive a zero, and cases of suspected misconduct are referred to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity Programs under UCR’s Academic Integrity Policies.
Accommodations
If you have a disability or medical condition that affects your participation, register with the Student Disability Resource Center (sdrc.ucr.edu) and send me your accommodation letter as early in the quarter as possible so we can put arrangements in place, including extended time on quizzes.
Wellbeing and support
College is hard, and this course asks a lot of you. If you are struggling, whether with the material or with anything else, please reach out to me early; I would much rather help you find a path forward in week 3 than in week 10. UCR resources include Counseling and Psychological Services (counseling.ucr.edu), Basic Needs and the R’Pantry (basicneeds.ucr.edu), the Academic Resource Center (arc.ucr.edu), and Student Health Services. In an emergency, call 911 or UCPD.